


Stolen Moments

by alpha_leonis



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Office Romance, assistant belle, attorney rumplestiltskin, office affair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 10:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16514306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alpha_leonis/pseuds/alpha_leonis
Summary: Modern Office Romance AU: Isabelle French works for attorney Robert Gold, a cold and very emotionally guarded man whose heart was hardened by his ex-wife leaving him and a neglectful father.  A challenging case begins a love affair between employer and assistant.





	Stolen Moments

Isabelle, or Izzie as her friends called her, French rushed through the lobby and into the elevator just as the doors were closing trying very hard not to lose her balance in her heels or spill the tray of coffees in her hand. She had overslept this morning and was running late. If she was lucky she would just manage to make it into the office before her boss: Mr. Gold arrived.  

Her luck seemed to turn though when she made it upstairs and neither Gold nor his partner Regina Mills were in yet. No one would have any idea she was late, except for Mill’s assistant Graham but he wasn’t the type of person to try and sell her out. She sat down at her desk and turned on her computer planning on double-checking the calendar and checking emails before Gold or Mills.

She just finished writing down every appointment her employer had that day when she heard the familiar clicking of Regina Mills’ heels and Gold’s cane and their almost as familiar bickering as they entered the office and went their separate ways. Isabelle silently handed Gold his coffee as he walked by her desk knowing better than to say anything just after a clash with Regina. She would give him a minute or two to settle in and cool down before going in and reminding him of his appointments and deadlines.

 ...

Robert Gold had been in a bad mood all morning. He had woken up with his leg hurting worse than normal, the pain alone made him just want to take a couple pain killers and go back to sleep but it would not be professional to show up late. He knew Regina would never let him hear the end of it if he missed a day because of his limp. God, he never though he’d hear himself say it but he missed the days when her mother, Cora Mills, was his partner at the law firm instead. Cora at least tended not to get on his nerves as much as her daughter.

He took his time getting ready trying to avoid aggravating the pain in his leg any further. Thankfully his morning routine allowed for extra time just for days like this. After a warm shower to relax his muscles he got dressed and headed downstairs to make breakfast, only pausing long enough to knock on his son Bae’s door to make sure he was getting ready for school. When he heard no response from the teenager he opened the door, sighing when he saw his son still asleep. He walked over to the bed and shook him awake. “Bae, come on now. It’s time to get up you have school today.”

He simply received a groan in return and his son smacking him on the arm. “Five more minutes, Papa,” said a muffled, groggy half-asleep voice.

“Now, Braden, if you don’t start to get ready now you’ll be late again. You do not need another detention for being tardy,” Robert responded shaking his head before shaking his son again. Bae groaned and got up muttering under his breath about how his father was being cruel and how he should have moved in with his mother and her new, younger, husband. Robert rolled his eyes at the comment, knowing it was an empty threat: Mila hardly had a relationship with her son; the last thing he would be doing would go and live with her.

He had just finished making breakfast for the two of them when he heard Bae stomping down the stairs, sounding quite like an elephant. He shook his head smiling as he remembered when his son was younger and would run down the stairs making just as much noise when he was excited for his father’s homemade pancakes. However, this morning he was not created by the happy face of a young child but the grumpy, angsty teenage son he now had. “I don’t know why you have to pretend like you give a damn,” Bae grumbled as he sat down on a chair at the kitchen island. “It’s not like you ever notice when anything happens if there’s not a note from school.”   He kept muttering like this as he started stabbing viciously at his pancakes.

Robert rolled his eyes at the dramatics and finished plating his own food. He grabbed a fork and started eating, standing on the opposite side of the island from his son. “You know that’s not true, Braden. Yes my caseload keeps me busy but you do not need me at home as much as when you were a child. You have clubs to keep you busy or at least you did until you started getting into trouble with Miss Nolan. When was the last time you went to football practice?”

“I don’t want to play anymore. It’s stupid and the guys on the team are all idiots,” Bae muttered.

Robert scoffed at his son’s reply. “Really now? I remember how excited you were to make varsity at the beginning of the year. Does this have anything to do with how Miss Nolan and that other new friend of yours? I know neither of them go to school events. I’ve got enough concerned messages and phone calls from Mrs. Nolan to not know something’s going on.”

Bae rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything in response. Robert was about to call his son out for his attitude when they heard the sound of a honking car. Bae shoveled down the rest of his food before grabbing his backpack and leather jacket and heading out the door to meet his girlfriend Emma Nolan at her yellow Volkswagen Bug, not even bothering to say goodbye to his father as he walked out the door.

“Good-bye, Bae. Have a good day. Be safe. Don’t get into trouble,” Gold said his words falling on deaf ears as he gathered up the dishes and started getting ready to leave for work.

...

Today was one of the days he wished he had a driver that could take him into the city instead of having to drive himself and make his leg even more sore before the day truly began. However, ever since the car accident years ago he never quite felt comfortable letting anyone else drive him.

It had been a rainy night seventeen years ago when Gold got into the car to pick up some formula, Milah had not been able to provide enough milk for the baby herself or she just did not want to breast feed anymore. Regardless of the reason he was out in the rain when another car came barreling down the road in the opposite direction causing him to turn the car to quickly and hydroplane into a tree. He never quite managed to fully regain memories of the accident but remembered waking up in the hospital two days later with a leg that would permanently crippled and a very unhappy wife. Milah hated having to give up traveling when Bae came and the last thing she wanted was to have to care for a crippled husband along with the baby. It was no surprise really when she eventually walked out on Gold and Bae. It was only a matter of time. Part of him was surprised she lasted an entire year after the accident. He figured she only stayed until he was completely capable of taking care of the toddler by himself probably did not want to risk killing her own child, or maybe that was imagining she cared for the child too much.

When he arrived at the office he ran into his younger partner at the front door. Regina Mills looking way too put together, in her pantsuit and heels, for a single mother who recently adopted a baby, could not help but comment when she saw her former mentor and now equal with a much more pronounced limp than usual. “Rough night, Gold, or is old age just getting to you?” she asked flashing a pearly white smile that looked more fitting on a shark than the sweet, innocent part she was trying to play.

“Good morning to you too, Miss Mills,” he muttered grinding his teeth and biting his tongue. The last thing he needed this morning was to cause a scene in the lobby of the office building they shared with plenty of other people. He was too old to allow a young, ambitious lawyer like Regina to get to him. He had certainly heard worse throughout his school years when he was picked on for how small he was, how he was not very well off financially, or after he immigrated his accent that was sometimes to thick to be properly understood.

“No snark or wise cracks this morning, Gold? Are you feeling unwell or is old age making you lose your edge?” Regina asked intentionally goading him as they entered the elevator that would take them up to the floor with their offices.

Gold grinded his teeth resisting the urge to sink to her level and fire back a shot at her causing a scene in the very small crowded elevator. His grip on his gain tightened as he tried to keep his anger and frustration with her under control. He was practically seeing red by the time they arrived at their floor, barely waiting for the door to open all the way before he was talking down the hall to his office not bothering to acknowledge or greet anyone as he passed.

He grabbed his coffee from his assistant’s outstretched hand as he passed by before heading into his office closing the door and groaning. He could already tell today was going to be a long day. He sat down at his desk and turned on his computer checking his email and reading the New York Times online when he caught sight of an anomaly on his coffee: a Will Scarlett asking him to call. He raised an eyebrow and got up from his desk. “Miss French, my office now,” he said opening the door and waving her over. He sat back down at his desk as he waited for her to scramble for her things and come in.

Isabelle flinched when she heard the annoyed sound from her boss. She did not quite know how she had managed to annoy him so early in the morning especially when she had not yet said a word to him. She hoped this was just leftover annoyance from his elevator ride with Miss Mills. She quickly gathered the files for his current case along with a pad of paper and a pen before walking as quickly into his office as her heels would allow her without tripping. “Yes, Mr. Gold?” she asked holding her head up high trying very hard not to show any of her fear.

Gold picked up his cup of coffee off his desk turning it as he spoke so she could see the name on the side of the cup. “Who is this Will and why is he asking me to call him?”

Isabelle gulped and her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. She gestured with her pen as she spoke. “He’s a barista at Starbucks and um he doesn’t want you to call him. He wants me to, that’s my coffee.”

“Your coffee?” he asked arching an eyebrow. “You order the same drink as me?”

“Yes, sir,” Isabelle answered without missing a beat. “I just love the taste.” She still was not a fan of hot coffee but after spilling her boss’ coffee one too many mornings she gave up and just started ordering two.

“Really? Because I remember you used to always have an iced drink sitting on your desk when you started working for me a year ago. You wouldn’t have switched your order to mine because you’re clumsy and scared of me would you?”

“No,” she answered quickly shaking her head. “I just got curious one day and ordered the same drink as you. Hot coffee has really grown on me. I’m not sure if I could drink an Iced Caramel Macchiato anymore. I have to have it hot now.” She lied, she would still greatly prefer it being cold but she was not willing to completely sacrifice her pride.

“Uh huh,” he answered eyeing her as he took another sip of his coffee. He did not believe a word she was saying but this conversation seemed awfully trivial. “You have my schedule for today right, Miss French?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered nodding, greatly relieved for the change in topic. “You have a meeting at ten with a witness you’re prepping and are expected in court this afternoon for hopefully the end of the Johnson case.” Isabelle said while she set down the files on his desk. “Oh and you are supposed to call back your doctor sometime today to reschedule an appointment.”

“Thank you. That’ll be all for now, Miss French,” he said waving her away and grabbing one of the files starting to read it as his assistant headed out the door.


End file.
